Pedal Car Racing

Before I dive in with my bike related questions I wanted to enlighten some of you to the world of Pedal Car Racing. For many years I've been racing in the British Pedal Car Championship and on a ride over the weekend got talking to a chap about it who advised I should try and enlighten people on this forum.

Pedal Car Racing (www.pedalcarracing.info) is a fast, friendly and competitive sport generally raced in teams. Teams of 4 drivers share the car in most events (more for junior classes) with 6 allowed for the gruelling challenge of the annual 24hr race at Shenington (this year's race is in June)

Fitness, tactics and teamwork all play a big part in finishing at the sharp end of the race.

I was just curious wanted to gauge if people knew what it was, if it existed and if they wanted to find out more. I spoke to a few of the teams at the first race a few weekends ago and there are some cars available for sale and hire for specific races.

Pretty smooth on the circuits we race at but assume road would be the same if a bit bumpy in places. Wondering if we can get more cycle clubs interested... There's a very competitive car that's just gone up for sale so could be quite timely.

Around 1987/88 I took part in a 24 hour pedal car race at Moss Bank Park in Bolton.

We were a local scout group and TBH I've no idea where the pedal car came from, but we spent hours tinkering with it on the build up to the event.

Roll on the first time we did it and we won a trophy, best newcomer IIRC

The following year we won nowt, but I remember the whole thing with startling clarity, (I don't often remember things in great detail), but they stopped doing it after that and I've no idea what became of the car

Both years were won by an LBS team whose car was like nothing else out there. Where's ours was pig iron there's was aluminium, where ours was like a laid down fridge freezer, there's was a tapered fairing covered missile

Around 1987/88 I took part in a 24 hour pedal car race at Moss Bank Park in Bolton.

We were a local scout group and TBH I've no idea where the pedal car came from, but we spent hours tinkering with it on the build up to the event.

Roll on the first time we did it and we won a trophy, best newcomer IIRC

The following year we won nowt, but I remember the whole thing with startling clarity, (I don't often remember things in great detail), but they stopped doing it after that and I've no idea what became of the car

Both years were won by an LBS team whose car was like nothing else out there. Where's ours was pig iron there's was aluminium, where ours was like a laid down fridge freezer, there's was a tapered fairing covered missile

Great times, thanks for the memory jog

Click to expand...

The 24hr race in Bolton actually continued into the 90s believe it or now.

It now runs at the Shenington Kart Circuit every June...... I dare say it's come on a fair bit since then!

I used to race in the Bristol 24 hour pedal car race on Whitchurch airfield back in the late 60’s. There was a small workshop at the side of the BAC Concorde hangar where they were built by the apprentices, but we were usually beaten by agricultural colleges with stronger legs.........